How to Create a Hint Word Search Algorithm for Your LibGDX Game

When developing a word game using the libGDX framework, you may want to implement a basic hint feature that generates a valid 7-letter word from the 17 letters provided on the board. In this article, we will explore an efficient algorithm to achieve this goal.

Optimizing Word Search Algorithm

The first step is to optimize the word search algorithm to reduce the number of combinations and improve performance. We can achieve this by storing each word along with another string made up of all the letters sorted into alphabetical order. This allows us to compare letter counts instead of generating strings of letters in a particular order.

We can also test if a word can be formed from the 17 letters using letter counts, rather than actually generating strings of letters and comparing them against words. This reduces the number of tests from millions to thousands.

Implementing Trie/Prefix Tree

Another approach is to build a trie or prefix tree using your word list. This allows you to iterate over the list of English words and test them against the 17 letters, rather than generating millions of combinations.

We can start by building a trie/prefix tree with the root node having a boolean flag indicating whether it marks the end of a word. Each node in the tree represents a letter from the 17 available letters. We can then traverse the tree using only letters from the 17, and suggest a word when we reach a node that has a flag marking the end of a word.

Improving Performance

To further improve performance, you can use a FixedThreadPool to split permutation tasks into smaller chunks and process them concurrently. This can significantly reduce the time it takes to generate a hint word, but may cause lag on lower-end devices.

In conclusion, creating a hint word search algorithm for your libGDX game requires efficient optimization techniques and data structures. By building a trie/prefix tree and using letter counts to compare words, you can significantly reduce the number of combinations and improve performance. Additionally, using a FixedThreadPool can further optimize performance, but may require adjustments on lower-end devices.

4 pics 1 word answers 7 letters string